


Nightmares

by princessofthieves



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Established Relationship, Ficlet, Gen, M/M, Mute Link, just a little thing, warning: nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessofthieves/pseuds/princessofthieves
Summary: He used to be the king of naps and champion of sleeping late, now it's rare for Link to get a full night of sleep.
Relationships: (barely mentioned) - Relationship, Groose/Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 58





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> First of a series of ficlets about Link struggling to sleep after his adventure. I will probably add more chapters when mood strikes again but for now it counts as complete.

Everything was finally over, but not in the way Link always hoped.

Since he left Skyloft his only desire had been returning to the Sky and the peaceful life of before. Even becoming a knight never meant more than patrolling an always relatively calm city, he never signed up to save the world or anything like that… but fate always had other plans. The headmaster dismissed his worries, Fi pushed him forward at every given chance, and his body grew tired between the lack of rest and food. 

Run here, run there, save this person, kill this monster: it all started to take a toll on him and by the time the last swarm of monsters charged in he was barely standing on his feet. 

Link never had a family, but he had a wonderful friend in her. He was ready to lose his life in her name, he was ready to sell everything he had for her safety… but he failed. And as soon as she fell, crimson blood dripping from her mouth, he knew his will to fight was gone. It was… so weird, it was almost like he had been created only for a purpose and now said purpose was gone. 

Zelda was dead.

The sword he took from the academy was laying in pieces on the ground and the knight was kneeling on the floor, barely able to stand or breathe. His whole body was covered in bruises and cuts, he had to face the Demon’s powerful charge and Link knew a few bones had been cracked… and all he could hope for was finally death.

That was it, the demon was approaching Ghirahim was going to cut him in pieces and finally put an end to everything. The knight closed his eyes, a tired smile painted on his lips. There was a blow but nothing happened. He wasn't in pain... why? 

Link's eyes opened and the demon was no more, but traces of his passage were everywhere. Everyone he knew and loved was on the ground around him, familiar faces were contorted in pain as their blood stained everything in side.

With shaking hands he reached for the tunic of Groose. His... rival? His friend? He couldn't remember at the moment.  
Him, Zelda, Peatrice, Cawlin... all his people. He failed them all. Desperation rose in his chest and even if he had no voice he found himself screaming, calling for them.

The next thing he knew, he was sitting up somewhere dark. He didn't recognize the place but his body didn't register the soft mattress under him yet, not the comforting scent of wood and pumpkins. Link just kept screaming with no voice, sitting up and grasping the sheets that were covering him like they were the only anchor to his world.

"It's okay. It's okay, Pipsqueak."

He finally managed to take his first breath when a familiar arm passed around his shoulder and a warm body pulled him in his direction. They were both still in the dark but it didn't matter, tears were still streaming from his eyes and Link would have been unable to see anyway.

"It's okay..."

Another deep breath and he finally let go of the sheets, hands anchoring themselves to that other person's tunic. Right. He won. He defeated Demise and everyone was alive. A soft sob escaped his lips as he pressed his forehead against the man's chest. Zelda was still alive and Groose was still there with him. Still at his side.

it was all a nightmare, he told himself, reaching for Groose's cheeks and pressing their foreheads together All a nightmare he repeated in his mind, pressing his ears against his chest to feel his heartbeat. Everyone is alive.

And, like many other nights, both knew they weren't going to sleep any further. The redhead helped him back against the pillow and wrapped his arms around the tiny but strong frame of the knight, then proceeded to kiss his forehead and spent his time whispering reassuring sentences as he tried (without success) to lull Link back to sleep.

It was hours later, when Groose was drifting back to sleep at least a couple of hours and Link was finally calm that the knight finally spoke his first words, slowly writing "thank you" on his partner's skin.


End file.
